In case you weren't able to make it out to Bandwagon Magazine's first night of their annual Battle of the Bands last Thursday, here's some of what you missed.
R-E-S: A take from singer/bassist Chris Arias' last name, these guys were the weirdest act of the night, and probably my personal favorite. R-E-S is two guys, aforementioned Chris and a drummer that exchange banter, hilarious lyrics and groove with a style that you kinda have to see to really "get."
Higher Intentions: Higher Intentions are a really tight, clean sounding reggae band. I definitely recommend checking them out if that's your style.
Trash Cat: I didn't even know Trash Cat was a thing, but it's Mary and Hayden from The Burroughs, except with this band Mary plays ukulele and sings. Very unique and cool.
Igaus Davis: Even though R-E-S was definitely the band that I probably enjoyed the most because, well, I like 'em weird, I would say that Igaus Davis deserved to move along to the next round, as they did. If you're not familiar, Igaus Davis can be just a few members, or they can completely fill up the stage and that's what they did on Thursday.
All bands were very impressive, and I'm fortunate to have been introduced to three new killer acts (Igaus was the only one I was really familiar with.) The next battle will be this Thursday at The Downtown Artery with Rat Doctor, The Catcalls, Places Back Home, and The Great Salmon Famine.